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LOW-SUGAR MACERATED PLUM JAM

I already have a recipe for plum jam on here, and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it and it’s one that I’ve been making for years, this is an updated version. (I will be taking down the other post). Is it just me or do you tweak your own recipes more than you try… Read more »

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DOUGHNUT FRENCH TOAST WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE

I don’t have many breakfast dishes on here but that makes sense since breakfast most mornings is porridge and fruit. Every now and then I like a bit of Sunday indulgence though – pretty much all the breakfast dishes on here are as a result of that. The fact that I can recite every Nigella… Read more »

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LOW-SUGAR MACERATED STRAWBERRY JAM

Let’s address what sounds like that unnecessary first step: macerating strawberries. Maceration is a process by which fruits are tossed in sugar, lemon and flavourings—in the case of strawberries it’s usually rum, balsamic vinegar or vanilla. Maceration does two things: 1) Added sugar draws out the natural sugars from the strawberries, as a consequence intensifying… Read more »

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COCONUT AND MANGO CHIA PUDDING

We eat eggs for breakfast every single day of the week, which as much as I like, is a bit of a shame because breakfast foods are the most fun to cook in my opinion (albeit not on a busy weekday morning). To get around this, a slightly more elaborate Sunday breakfast tradition has arisen:… Read more »

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HOMEMADE RASPBERRY FLAVOURED YOGURT WITH CHIA SEEDS

   Until three years ago, I didn’t know how to make yogurt at home. What seems like a basic enough task now evaded me for a long time. I pulled out all the tricks and hacks I found on the internet from measuring exact temperatures using a food thermometer to setting it in ceramic, stainless… Read more »

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PRESERVED LEMONS

   I’d been buying preserved lemons from a store that grows organic lemons on their property. I’m not someone that only buys organic produce, but the concept of using the entire fruit—peel, rind, juice and all—made me want to try and get my hands on some pesticide-free ones for preserving. So when my aunt called… Read more »

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LOW-SUGAR GRAPE JAM

   Making jam at home is easier than it is made out to be. I’d come across recipes in the past that went into detailed instructions about canning equipment and sterilizing jars..it completely threw me off. You don’t need any heavy-duty ‘canning equipment’ here, and I realized that sterilizing jars is just a clinical term… Read more »

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HUNG YOGURT WITH ROASTED PLUMS & COCONUT

  Every time I have some extra yogurt that needs using up, hung yogurt is my go-to option. I know it’s something that takes a good few hours of ‘hanging’ time for most of the whey to seep out from it, but it’s a simple enough task to do before bedtime – tie up the… Read more »

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DRIED FRUIT AND SEED BARS

  You know by the look of these bars that they are going to be good for you. There’s Medjool dates for sweetness (have you tried these? There are SO good. And sweeeet), freshly ground cinnamon for warmth, squidgy berries, and lots of seeds for my favourite part – the crunch. I went berserk at… Read more »

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LYCHEE, THAI BASIL & GINGER MOJITO

      I was looking for cocktail recipes when I came across something. You know blue curaçao, that lurid blue syrup that bartenders add to drinks? Blue Lagoon, anyone? Turns out, ironically, that it is in fact a kind of orange liqueur from the island country of Curaçao (although now it is commonly sold under… Read more »

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HOMEMADE GRANOLA

I know I’d said in my previous post that this was going to be a recipe for a roasted tomato and coriander pesto. Truth is, I was really happy with the recipe and it was all ready to go up until I realized that I was just not satisfied with the pictures I had. Turns… Read more »

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SAVOURY PINEAPPLE LASSI

I was experimenting with this pineapple lassi a few days ago, not with the ubiquitous sweet version, but a savoury one. The flavours are what you would expect with a typical ‘salt’ lassi: cumin, mint, and salt. The addition of fruit is the wildcard ingredient here. I always add a pinch of salt to most… Read more »

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WATERMELON LEMONADE

Watermelon is one of my favourite fruits to eat during the sweltering summer months (which is almost all year round in Chennai). I love them diced into a salad with olives and feta, and I love them sliced into wedges and sprinkled with a pinch of chilli powder and salt. I also love them in… Read more »

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MAPLE GRILLED NECTARINES & ALMOND-OAT CRUMB

The stone fruit season might be long gone, but the last of these exotic (for Chennai at least!) nectarines still linger in the markets, so I’ve been making the most of them while I can. Although Chennai is not the first place you’d think of for stone fruits, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find them—even… Read more »

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MELON JAM WITH STAR ANISE

Who makes their own jam, right? That was exactly my line of thought when I set about making a batch, and only because I had a huge haul of plums languishing in the fridge begging to be used up. Now I’m hooked. Not only is it easy as pie (actually, way easier than pie), but… Read more »